


Missing Moments

by thenevillegirl



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-01-03 00:21:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21170315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenevillegirl/pseuds/thenevillegirl
Summary: Some missing moments wrote by me following the series "The White Queen". Only on Anne and Richard.





	1. 1) Richard and George waiting in the Tower [Ep 2]

Solely Richard didn’t spent too much time In front of a mirror. It was a girls habit and he certainly wasn’t. Moreover, he knew very well that his brothers would have mocked him.   
Luckily Edward was already at Westminster with the future Queen’s sons, but George was there.

“Brother, if you keep looking at yourself in the mirror, I will start to call you ‘ sister’ and, believe me, we have enough of them.” He joked and Richard sighed.

Margaret, their youngest sister, was there too. 

“Leave him alone, George, Richard only wants to look good. You know that Nevilles will be here too.” She said, smiling mischievously e George opened his mouth as an ‘O’ understanding the reason why his brother was so narcissistic at all sudden.

Richard didn’t answered at his sister affirmation, for he was too busy in searching for any kind of defect in his aspect.   
After almost a years he would have seen again Anne, the daughter of the Earl of Warwick. When Edward, hs brother, brought his new wife Elizabeth at palace, he had seen her from afar but the didn’t had a chance to speak to the other. 

In Middleham, where they both spent their childhood, he couldn’t make it on telling to her about his feelings. He liked her and he wanted her to know.   
But he was also nervous for the ugly discussion he had with his cousin. He wasn’t a fool, he knew very well what he had in mind and wanted to make things clear with him. The time was not ripe for this courtship. 

When he made sure he was fine, he and George went to the tower, because there with Warwick and Woodvilles, they would have escorted the new Queen to Westminster.   
They were sat on benches outside the room where Elizabeth Woodville was and waited for their cousin arrival.

“Which one will be prettier?” Asked George suddenly and Richard looked up, confused by the question, or rather by the subjects of the question.

“I mean between Isabel and Anne Neville” He précised.

“They both were when I left Middleham, I don’t think they changed much in less than a year…” Richard replied and George smirked.

“Isabel would be a good match for me” he then commented, as before, at all sudden.

“Yes, the King and the Queen of stone” He said to himself Richard, but enough high for his brother to hear, but he didn’t asked explanation about his sentence.

“And if i should i marry Isabel, it would be just fair that you would marry Anne, am I right?”

Richard widened his eyes and he could feel his heartbeat racing at the thought of marrying Anne. He knew well it was Richard Neville’s intention to have them married, to keep the bond between Neville and Plantagenet alive. Isabel and Anne would never have married outsiders to their family.

They heard steps and when they glimpsed Warwick, George stood up, greeting him. Richard did the same soon after and, with his great surprise, saw the Earl’s daughters. He though that Anne and Isabel would have been with their mother at Westminster, like everyone else, like Margaret and his other sisters.

He couldn’t really look at her, he wasn’t prepared for it.

Luckily, Elizabeth Woodville, decided to coming out the room in that exact moment and he took a deep breath, going to greet his new sister after George.

But, as much he tried to focus on his duties, he cannot stopped looking behind himself sometimes. Anne was there and they didn’t even said Hello. How it was possible? They were friends.

He decided to not think about it and started to speak with Anthony Woodville, Elizabeth’s brother, and with George, but his intentions weren’t changed. He had to speak to Anne.


	2. 2) Anne Neville will marry Edward of Lancaster [Ep 4]

He couldn’t believe it. Still he couldn’t assimilate Jacquetta Rivers’s words.   
Anne, his sweet Anne was to be married to Edward of Lancaster, the Ice Prince, son of Margaret of Anjou and Henry VI. Everyone knew of what he was capable of and Warwick was giving away his daughter to as a wife? Moreover his favourite one.   
It had to be some kind of revenge on him. He that decided to not ally with his cousin and George against his own brother.   
He held the sword hilt that was on his belt. Right in that moment he wanted to scream, he wanted to have explanations on why he had done such a thing, then he understood.   
Warwick would have been in power again if his daughter would have become the Lancastrian Queen and Edward had lost.   
He first tried with George, to find a way to make him King instead of Edward and he also married his other daughter, Isabel, to him. But it didn’t go as they wanted, and now he was playing his last and most precious card.   
When the Queen and Jacquetta went out, with a plan in their mind, of that he was sure, Richard and Edward stayed in silence for a little bit.   
“I didn’t know you still cared for our cousin.” Said the King, noticing the lower look of his brother.  
“I remember when you said that Warwick wished to give his daughter’s hand to me. I was happy, even if I am not good in showing my feelings…”   
"Dickon..."  
“I don’t think I ever asked you anything, you gave me titles and honors, but i just wanted one thing ad now i’ll never have her.”He replied, very calmly and then he left.  
That same night, he took in his hand a little piece of cloth, on which a still inexperienced Anne of seven years, had sewed their initials and gave it to him as a gift the same day of his birthday.   
He clenched it in a fist and held back the tears, more out of anger and for the thought that she would never be his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These missing moments will be mostly very short, i hope you will like them anyway ^^


	3. 3) Warwick's Death

3) Warwick's death  
  
Barnet, 1471

It was Richard’s first real battle and he was 18 years. He had to be grateful to his cousin and his brother George for bringing them at this point, making war to each other for the crown of England. After all, Richard had been trained to be a soldier and he couldn’t wait to stand up on the Battlefield and prove to the King that he worth more than all his army.

He was very motivated, but he didn’t agree on executing Warwick there, at the end of the fight. Yes, it would have been a more honorable death and his wife and his daughters would have known of his value, but Richard wanted to speak with his cousin, he wanted to know why he permitted that Anne married that Edward. Obviously, he knew already the answer, but he wanted to look him in the eyes while he said that.

Warwick looked at him just before receiving that lethal blow, hit in the back, and that look said so much that Richard thought he couldn’t hold his tears. He was too little when his father died, he never knew him well as his brothers and that is why he never shed a tear, but Richard Neville had been more than a cousin or a guardian to him, he was like a father.

He was one of the last to get away from there..  
...

Even if he died as a traitor, with the red rose of Lancaster as emblem, they gave him a proper funeral, after all he was their cousin, their mother’s nephew and father of George’s wife.

For the first time, Richard felt betrayed, until now he just thought to the fact he allowed to his daughter to marry that prince, but now he felt betrayed by whom he considered as a father and he couldn’t forgive him for causing so much pain just for the power. He would never be so.

“Dickon, we leave you for a moment?” Edward asked him, understanding the bond that linked his little brother to their passed cousin.

Richard nodded and when only silence was left, he came closer to Warwick.

“You always been an example to follow for me, you were like a father and I thought you considered me as the son you never had… Maybe you felt betrayed by this ungrateful son of yours and I’m sorry, but once you told me that loyalty and honor are everything for a man. Well, I did so, if Edward made his choices, who are we to contradict him? And what brought you to this ambition? To death.

And Anne… You knew how much i care for her and you gave her as wife to a man that many define as a monster and I cannot imagine what she is facing now that she belongs to him. I would have like to say all this to you, but it wasn’t possibile and i have to content of a cold body as listener…” Richard made a break, feeling his eyes burning a little. He sniffed and took a deep breath.

“I promise you that i will do everything in my power in order to save Anne from that marriage, then i will keep her safe… I’ll do what you weren’t able to.” He said and then he left.


	4. 4) Anne is back at court

4) Anne is back at court

“Isabel!”

Richard went searching for his cousin, and sister in law, to speak to her.

“Richard, how odd, we never speak…” She started to say, quite surprised, but Richard interrupted her gently.

“Um, I wanted to ask you if I could speak with Anne, she had been at court for a month already and I never got a chance to ask her how she was, and…”

Isabel smiled for a moment, “Oh, it is so sweet of you but, you see, our dear Anne is still shaken dor Tweskbury, and she prefers to not leave her chambers…”

Richard was surprised, he knew that she was indeed shaken, he had seen it personally, but she challenged the King, his brother, with the issue of her mother just a couple of days ago and she didn’t seemed still that traumatized to not go out of her chambers and speak with someone else.

“I understand, well, will you tell her that I wish to ask her how she is when you see her?”

“Well, of course!” She replied, making a little curtsy and nod with the head to greet him and then she went away.

Richard frowned. He didn’t know what to think, but Isabel would never hurt her sister. George was her guardian, maybe he could have asked him.

The following months, he was sure that he saw Anne with Isabel or on her own, wandering around the palace, but when he tried to reach for her, she would just disappear, like a ghost.

He wanted to speak with Edward about it, but he would have answered that George was her guardian and that he surely knew what was better for her, and if Isabel said she was not feeling well, probably it was the truth.

Maybe his were just illusions for how much he wanted to see her.

After six month, he thought it was another hallucination when he saw her kneel down at the passage of the King. He stopped and told her that they would have met at the garden while everyone was at the celebrations.

When he met George and Isabel, he tried again.

“Oh, Anne is grieving the death of her husband…” Said George, and Isabel had a little convincing look, as his affirmation.

“I see, well, i hope she will feel better soon, i would like to speak with her.”

George and Isabel smiled and nodded together. Then, at the announce of the coming of the King and the Queen, they all turned.

Richard had the confirmation of what he was suspecting and he couldn’t wait to ask sorry to Anne, he had been honest when he told her that she was going to be safe. He would have never imagined that into his household she would have been a prisoner.


	5. 5) Anne and Richard's first night

It was weird. It was very weird that he was so nervous, after all, there wasn’t nothing new in what he was about to do.

He and Anne were husband and wife now, and it was obvious that they had to consummate the wedding. Anne wasn’t a virgin bride, and he wasn’t a virgin either. He had a mistress not long ago, but now that he was bonded to her, he would have shared his bed only with his wife.

For all his life he desired Anne, well not all his life, but since he started to look at the girls, he started to try to imagine how could have been Anne underneath her clothes, blushing and feeling ashamed right after because his cousin was the purest girl he ever met. Edward and George always teased him, since he was growing up and starting to give attention to the gentle sex and not only to training and books.

The thought of her at the mercy of Edward of Lancaster tormented him. He couldn’t either imagine what she’d been throught.

He kept going back and forth in front of the door where, at St. Martin le Grand, she was staying for months already, and that they had also for that night.

Finally, the ladies in waiting, that his brother sent to serve Anne, came out of the chamber.

“Her Grace the Duchess is ready, my Lord.” One of them said, then both made a little curtsy and one of them smiled a little, Richard just nodded nervously. Probably that was one of Edward’s mistress.

When the girls were gone, he decided to enter. The chamber was enlighted by candles, since it was night and there wasn’t the natural light coming from the window.

The thing that left him with his mouth open was that Anne wasn’t waiting for him under the sheets, as he thought, but she was on her feet beside the bed, without clothes.

“I hope that it won’t diplease you to find me like this, my Lord.” She said, smiling a bit, but she couldn’t keep the look at him much longer.

“Do you really believe this could displease me?” He replied, smiling and, while he was approaching her, he undressed himself, careful to not leave Anne’s eyes, he wanted to look at her for all the time.

The situation didn’t changed that much. Richard could still feel the heart beating fast, and it was like he had forgot how to procede with a woman. 

With Kate, the mistress from he had his two children, it was about disperation. He had received the news that Anne was going to marry Lancaster and he got drunk, ending up in Kate’s bed, twice. He cared about her, he wasn’t the kind of man to go with any harlot as his brother Edward would, but he wasn’t sure it was love what he shared with her.

With Anne it would have been about love and he dreamed of that moment for…

Well, finally they were there. Finally he could have touch her skin, entagling the fingers in her golden hair and kiss her whenerever he wanted.

Anne seemed nervous too. She was keeping the look down, sometimes she would raise her eyes to see him, as she wanted to make sure he was really there, and when they were closer, their looks met, to never leave.

It wasn’t needed to say much, because they were saying already everything.

Richard noticed that Anne was not relaxing at all, he could feel her trembling under his fingers and he started to caress her arms and her back with his fingers.

“I am not him…” He whispered next to her ear, then kissing her forehead.

“I know…” She answered, smiling and drying away those stupid tears.

“Do you want to talk a little bit? Maybe we will both relax.” He proposed and Anne looked him in the eyes and nodded.

They climbed up on the bed, under the sheets, sat in front of the other. Anne was keeping the sheets to cover herself and sometimes Richard found his gaze to be on the hem of that sheet, he wanted to rip it off her, but he couldn’t.

“Do you remember when my father got angry because we sneeked in the kitchen to stole buns?” She broke the silence with a memory, sometimes he forgot that they spent childhood together, he should have looked at her like a sister, as Isabel, but he never considered her such.

Richard laughed and Anne stopped to look at him. She rarely saw him laughing and this made it more beautiful and special, she was the only one that could see him laugh.

“It wasn’t our fault if they were so good.” He shrugged.

“I remember that Francis took the blame because he feared that father could have punish you.”

“Yes, but i would have never permitted that he was punished in my place.”

“And you had me… “ Started Anne, almost blushing. Indeed, every time that the Earl was angry with Richard, Anne would always try to calm him, because she knew she was his favourite daughter.

“Yes…” He nodded, smiling.

Richard handed out his hand to grab hers and passed his fingers on the back of the hand, delicately, tocuhing her ring.

“I can’t believe i am here, and i’m married with you. I don’t know how many times I’ve dreamed it.” She admitted, looking at their rings, so close.

“It is the same for me” He replied. And it was true, he didn’t had memory of a moment in which he wasn’t convinced that one day he would have married Anne, and it was the most obvious thing he knew and he also kept thinking if there were real sentiments for the girl and there were.

He knew he loved her in the moment he was losing her.

Richard’s gaze deepened and Anne lifted up his chin with her fingers, for their eyes to meet.

“Now i am here” She reassured him and grabbed his hands.

“Anne…”

Anne knew what Richard wanted to talk about, surely it wasn’t the best way to relax, but maybe it would have been the good thing for her to do and with Richard she felt safe.

“He wasn’t gentle with me. He had these ice eyes, I understood why they defined him the Ice Prince… I didn’t know what to do, my lady mother didn’t explained me, she only did to Isabel… I didn’t know how to behave…”

Richard felt his stomach turning at the thought of what she could have told him, but he tried to stay strong.

“He told me to stay still and then… Well, then it happened and i think i cried when I saw the blood on the sheets, but one of the ladies explained me… And it has been like this almost every night, I mean his brutality, luckily he didn’t come every night… he wasn’t satisfied of my aspect. I always kept the nightgown during the act.”

Richard listened, trying to not esplode with rage. If he had the chance he would have killed him with his own hands.

Anne’s eyes were teary and he grabbed her cheek, caressing it.

“It’s over now, it is past, when i told you you’d be safe i meant it… I swore at the body of your father that I would have kept you safe.”

“I miss him… I couldn’t say goodbye…”

Richard lifted a corner of his mouth, remembering that they both hadn’t the chance to say goodbye to their fathers.

“We can pay a visit to his grave, I know is not the same thing, but so you could say goodbye…”

Anne threw herself into his arms, not caring much of the sheets falling.

“thank you” She simply said, almost a whisper.

Richard caressed her back and her hair.

“You know, I’m glad that your body didn’t satisfied that… At least I will be the first to touch it and to make you understand how perfect actually is.”

Anne smiled with her face hidden on his shoulder.

“Richard… I want it to be like is the first time”

Luckily, he had his face turned on the other side, so Anne couldn’t see his expression. He also wanted for her to be the first time, because he wanted to be the first, and the only, to have her.

As he said himself to Edward, he never felt so much desire for someone if not for Anne and knowing that her virtue had been taken away, moreover by Lancaster, bothered him. But this never decreased the desire he had for her. Her body was, indeed, untouched.

He made Anne to withdrew a bit to look in her eyes, making his intentions clear to her. The difference was that he didn’t made her lay down like Lancaster did, on the opposite, it was him to lay and let Anne to climb up on him, letting her taking the control he thought she needed.

It was much more pleasurable to see her above him, as much as her fingers exploring his body.

He searched for her hand, to entwine their fingers, he thought it would have helped her to relax.

Richard didn’t know on what he should have concentrate during their love making. If on her eyes, her blue, like the clear water, eyes that were now as deep as the ocean, or if on her skin so flushed now and not pale as always, or if on her breasts, bouncing slowly everytime she would move. He felt one of Anne’s hands, the one that was free, on his face to make him look at her and he focused first on her eyes and then they slowly approached the other’s mouth to kiss.

He wanted to be slow, he wanted to be perfect for her, but he couldn’t control himself much, so, when he felt he was almost the apex, he sat with Anne still on his lap, they both moaned at that slight change of position and he buried his face on her breasts.

When they were both tired and satisfied, they lay down again and Anne snuggled between Richard’s arms.

“ I love you” Anne said, recovering her breath.

Richard was caressing her hair and he smiled, kissing her forehead.  
“Love you too.”  
When she was above him, he couldn’t figured how small was Anne’s figure. This made him wanted to protect her even more from everything and everyone.

…

The morning after, Richard woke up before than Anne and he took advantage of that time to observe her. She was even more beautiful with her hair untied and he had the chance to see her like this only when they were little and they used to say prayers together before going to bed.

He saw her moving and her movements pulled the sheet, letting foreseeing her curves. He couldn’t resist more and slowly he positioned above her, moving away a tuft of hair on a side, uncovering her face.

“Mmm… Richard…” She grumbled, opening her eyes.

“Forgive me, but I couldn’t resist” He told her, lowering his lips to hers, kissing her.

“You are my husband now, you don’t have to say sorry” She replied, rubbing her eyes and then smiling.

He smirked, “Very well, but as much as I’d like to stay and give you every attention you deserve, I must go… I still have to set up things with George.” He said, sighing. The next morning after their wedding he wanted to stay in bed with his wife, but those were important matters, it was just about his future with Anne.

He got out bed and started to dress, while Anne sat up and cover up herself.

“Which matters? I thought the King gave you blessings and that he had convinced George.” She then said, frowing, a little confused. 

Richard took a deep breath, “I promised him every estate Edward gave me, your father’s, except for some, including Middleham, and the office of Chamberlain…” Sure, Richard was sorry to give him so much, but Anne was way more important of every estate or title they could give him.

“Middleham is ours?” Anne asked, smiling.

“Yes, I would never permit him to have the proprierty of Middleham Castle, there are all our memories, and soon, we will create new memories with our children.” Said Richard, getting closer to her, once he put the boots on.

Anne brought a hand on her stomach and Richard’s reached her soon after. They kissed.

“I will make sure you will make peace with your sister, I know you suffer and she is suffering the same.” He told her, kissing her hand and then he left.

Anne had tears in her eyes, she wanted to be in peace with Isabel so much. She hated all they’ve been throught, but she feared her sister was more loyal to her husband then to her.

She pushed away the imminent tears and she tried to focus on her past night with Richard, now her husband. She smiled and blushed at the only thought.

“I’m Anne of Gloucester now.” She whispered to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you will like this chapter :*


	6. 6) Anne expecting

It was July and it was the first anniversary for Anne and Richard being husband and wife. Richard was away for a couple of months now and Anne felt so alone in Middleham Castle, she only had her ladies’s company, and sewing and chattering all day was boring after a while, just a couple of times she managed to go outside in the garden, but not for much time.

She badly wanted a child, she could have a part of Richard always with her and she didn’t wanted to disappoint Richard, he had given up so much to marry her. But it wasn’t easy to conceive though, since her husband spent little time with her at their home, duty called him and that duty was mainly Edward, his brother the King. But everytime they were together, they barely left their chamber.

Outside of it he rarely showed affection to her, because he didn’t wanted servants to have something to speak of, but how wrong he was by doing so!

Her ladies always told her that everyone tended to fantasize on their life since they were so reserved. Of course Anne should have them punished or the servants for talking of them in those terms, but she didn’t, it almost made her giggles and blushing.

She was walking with two of her favourite ladies, Margaret and Anne, they were chatting and it was a lovely day.

“When Sir Lionel will be back?” Anne asked to Margaret and, as he expected, she blushed. She knew everything of those girls and she liked to tease them sometimes. She was laughing when she felt suddenly ill.

The two girls noticed and they helped her to get into the castle.

She woke up in her bed, her hair untied and she was in her nightgown. Nan, was there, waiting probably for her to wake up.

“Lady Anne, you fainted while we were walking…” She said, worried.

Anne sat up and smiled, ut she felt a little weak.

“It’s allright, Nan, I’m fine… Am I?”  
Nan was smiling “You are, my lady…The Duke will be very pleased” She told Anne and it took several seconds for her to understand the meaning of that phrase. When she got it, she touched her belly, almost crying for happiness.

It felt so right for her being with child in that moment, They waited a year, but would have been the perfect gift to Richard for their anniversary. She started to pray for it to be a boy, so her husband would have already an heir.

She couldn’t wait to tell him the good news, but wasn’t sure if Richard was coming home soon, she wanted to send him a message, but he would have worried for nothing, she knew very well her husband and she smiled at the thought of him worried, he loved her very much.

One morning, the exact date of their anniversary, after being sick in the early hours, she heard the guards outside announcing the coming of the Duke.

Anne jumped off the chair she was seated on and walked fast outside to greet him. He was dismounting from his horse when she got out.

“My Lady” He said, holding back a wide smile. He got on his knees, kissing her hand and then they went inside, with everyone’s eyes on them, knowing where they were heading.

As soon as they entered Anne’s chamber, their chamber, he kissed her on the mouth, showing her how much he missed her. He was ready to unlace her dress, when she stopped him.

Richard was confused by her reaction and looked at her worried, “Are you unwell, my Lady?” He asked, cupping her face in his hands and Anne felt a shiver for his warm hands on her skin, then she took them in hers.

“My Lord… Richard, today is our anniversary.” She told him and Richard relaxed, smiling too.

“I know, that is why I was about to undress you, my love.”

Anne smiled, blushing also, and played a little with his hands. “Do you have a gift for me, my love?” She asked and Richard sighed, quite impatient. He couldn’t wait to be with his wife for all the trip, and he didn’t even took a break along the way, and she was preventing it.

“Of course I have, but I wanted to lay with you firs-“ He tried to say, but she insisted.

“Why don’t we exchange our gifts now? So we can stay in bed more” She proposed and Richard arched his eyebrow.

“Fine.” He said, and he took out of the little bag he had on his belt, a necklace. He held it up for her to see it and Anne smiled amazed by it. He could always find the finest jewelry for her.

“Turn around, my lady.” He said and Anne did so. He put around her neck the piece of jewelry, she shivered at the touch of his hands close to her neck, it was the right moment to speak about the big news.

“I’m with child, Richard”

There was a sudden silence right after she spoke and that worried Anne, but then, when she turned again to him, he had teary eyes.

“Richard, is it alright?” She asked, now she was worried. It couldn’t make him sad a new like this and tried to touch his cheek with her hand, but Richard reached out for her belly with his hands before she could and he got on his knees. He then kissed it softly and hugged her wait delicately.

“Anne, you made me a happy man twice.” He said and Anne started to caress his hair, trying to not cry too.

When he was on his feet again, he kissed her more passionately.

“Who knows?” He asked, stopping the kiss and full of eagerness. Now his only wish was to be in bed with her, love her and hold her close to him.

“Just Nan and Margaret.” She told him, smiling. It was inevitable that they knew, they were with her when she discovered it.

He smiled, “We won’t announce it for a couple of days.”

“Why?” She asked, not understanding why they would keep it secret.

“It is a sin to lay while you are with child, my love” He reminded her. Anne nodded, it was true and it was the only negative part of her condition.

“Well… I guess we will confess more than usual for sometime.” She smirked and Richard arched his eyebrow again.

He was a loyal servant of God and the Church, but Anne was his weakness. He couldn’t resist her.

Richard took again the laces of her dress and took it off her. Anne untied her hair, she knew Richard preferred it to be like this. Then he took her to bed, and it was different. Anne was used to Richard’s care during their lovemaking, but now, that she was with child, he had a lot more of consideration for her. She accepted it, because she knew it could have been dangerous for their child, or why would it be a sin then?

They kissed for most of the act and then she lied with her head on his shoulder, Richard’s hand was on her belly.

“I love you, Anne” He said.

“I love you, too, Richard.”

They kissed again and Anne fell asleep while Richard couldn’t close his eyes, was too worried for them. He started to think about what often happened to women when they were with child. He couldn’t lose Anne, not even to save their child.


	7. 6) The Birth of Edward of Middleham

  
“How long will it take?!” Grunted Richard, pacing back and forth.

“These things take time, son, but in the end you’ll see that it will be worth it and your wife will give you a boy” Said Cecily, trying to calm down her son. They were in the great hall of Middleham Castle, while Anne was in the birthing chamber, in the tower.

“I am worried, Lady Mother. What if Anne…”

“Anne is a Neville, remember? She’s a strong woman and she will live long enough to see her son becoming a man.”

Richard smiled, relieved in hearing such words, but he didn’t care much if it was a girl and not a boy, Anne was seventeen, she was young and she would have many children in the future.

“You are right.” He agreed and Cecily smiled.

“An other quality of us Neville women, we are always right.” She continued, proudly.

Richard smiled again, but it disappeared and he started to worry when he heard Anne screaming, he could hear her from that distance and he couldn’t imagine how painful could it be for her.

Cecily stopped her son from going and he felt powerless.

He knew Anne was a strong woman, and he knew that from the very moment he met her at the battlefield of Tewkesbury and then when she told him she was with child. He had to stay away from her often because he had duties, but when he was at home he would stay with her.

He was brought back to reality when he heard the steps of the midwife with his child in her arms.

Richard could hear its crying when she put it into his arms. He didn’t know what to do, if smile or cry out of joy, so he did both things.

“I never saw a man crying for their child… oh well, Richard did for your eldest sister and so Warwick for his daughter Anne.” Cecily said, trying to concentrate on her memories. Richard stopped looking at his child for a moment. He could never imagine his father and his cousin crying.

Then he uncovered his child just to see its sex and he saw he was a boy.

“Well, your wife, unlike the Queen and Isabel, has accomplished in giving you a boy as first born. You should thank her.” His mother said.

“That is what i will do, take me to my wife!” He exclaimed, happy and excited to see his Anne.

He went immediately in her chamber with their son and he saw her, cleaned from blood and she was smiling. Her skin was pale, but the doctor explained that it had been a long delivery and hard for her petite body.

“Richard, have you seen our son?” She smiled happily and Richard sat beside her with the baby.

“How we will call him?” He asked her and Anne took her baby in her arms, counting his fingers.

“Edward, for your brother the King” She said, smiling at her son, whom was now attached to her breast, after she unlaced her shift.

“Anne…”

She looked at him, but he didn’t say anything. It wasn’t good that it was her nourishing him.

“Don’t worry, is just a one time only. I want a bond with him, before he can get affectionate to his nurse.” She reassured him, moaning lightly because Edward was quite hungry.

“I don’t think she will find a better nourishment than the one his mother can give…” Observed Richard, resting a hand on his son’s cheek.

“Can I? But…”

“Don’t worry. We will have time for other children, now we have Ned and is enought.”

Anne smiled and it was everything he needed.


End file.
